We are aware that colonial rivalry was one of the main
causes of the 1914-1918 imperialist war.

What all Frenchmen should realize, is that colonial
expeditions are largely responsible for aggravating the
depopulation from which their country is now suffering. If
one looks at the statistics of military losses in killed and
wounded sustained in-the colonies, one is frightened by
the gap they have caused in an ever decreasing population
such as that of France. From January to June, 1923, in
Morocco alone, 840 soldiers were killed or wounded for the
greater glory of Marshal Lyautey!

What the French working class must realize, is that
colonialism relies on the colonies to defeat all attempts at
emancipation on the part of the working class. No longer
having absolute confidence in the white soldiers, who are
more or less contaminated by the idea of classes, French
militarism uses African and Asian natives in their stead.
Out of 159 regiments in the French Army, 10 are composed
of colonial whites, i.e., semi-natives, 30 of Africans and
39 of natives from other colonies. One half of the French
army is thus recruited in the colonies.

Now, an Annamese soldier is in service for four years
and an Algerian for three years. Thus, according to the reckoning
of French militarism, two native soldiers are worth
almost five French.

Moreover, being ignorant of the language and politics
of the country, thinking that all whites belong to the race
of his exploiters, and finally spurred on by his white superiors,
the native soldier will march forward submissively
and blindly, where the French soldier, more conscious,
might refuse to go. Therein lies the danger.

One wonders for what reason 31 of the native regiments
will be stationed on French territory? For what
purpose are they intended? Are the French going to be
civilized by these natives? The intention of French capitalism
is thus clear. It is up to the French workers to act.
They should fraternize with the native soldiers. They
should make them understand that the workers of the
mother country and the soldiers from the colonies are
equally oppressed and exploited by the same masters, that
they are all brothers of the same class, and that when the
hour of struggle strikes, they will have, one and the other,
to struggle against their common masters, and not between
brothers.